V. I. Lenin

Comment on the Behaviour of the “Left Communists”

Written:Second half of March, 1918First Published:First published in 1929 inLenin Miscellany 
	XIPublished according to the manuscriptSource:Lenin’sCollected Works, 4th English Edition, 	
	Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1972 Volume 27, pp. 202.Translated:Clemens Dutt; Edited by Robert DaglishTranscription/HTML Markup:David Walters & Robert CymbalaOnline Version:Lenin Internet 
	ArchiveMarch, 2002

Since the conclusion of the Brest peace, some comrades who call themselves “Left Communists” have formed an “Opposition” in the Party, and in consequence of this their activity is slipping further and further towards a completely disloyal and impermissible violation of Party discipline.

Comrade Bukharin has refused to accept the post of member of the C.C. to which he was appointed by the Party Congress.

Comrades Smirnov, Obolensky and Yakovleva have resigned from their posts as People’s Commissars and as business manager of the Supreme Economic Council.

These are absolutely disloyal, uncomradely actions that violate
      Party discipline, and such behaviour was and remains a step
      towards a split on the part of the above-mentioned
      comrades. . . .[Here the manuscript breaks
      off.— Editor]